


When Virgil was Born  (Part three of Tracy Boys' Origins)

by thunderbird_dragon



Series: When they were born (Tracy Boys Origins) [3]
Category: Thunderbirds, thunderbirds are go
Genre: Fanart, Multi, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2018-05-02
Packaged: 2019-05-01 10:02:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14518071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thunderbird_dragon/pseuds/thunderbird_dragon
Summary: Virgil has a reputation for taking his own sweet time to get a job done well - apparently, this admirable trait is in his very genes - much to his mother's chagrin!





	When Virgil was Born  (Part three of Tracy Boys' Origins)

**Author's Note:**

> I purposely wrote these fics back to front with Alan first. My suggestion is that if you'd like to read them all, then you read them in the order they were written as they do build to a rather unexpected finale - Scott's birth.   
> They are all head-cannon and I hope you enjoy them.  
> thank you

                                     

Some babies come quickly, some take their own damned sweet time.

Virgil was one of the later.

Lucille was on the south porch of the farmhouse, her feet up, ankles swollen like melons, in the last few days of pregnancy. Grandma had brought her an iced tea and she had allowed herself to drift off a little in the soft pink light of the warm dusky sunset, half listening to Jeff bathing her two boys.

Oh, life was good, she needed the break and a trip to her in-laws fitted the bill perfectly – someone else to take charge of her kids for just a day or two.

The boys loved visits to their grandparents.

Scott was at that helpful age, wanting to be in with Grandpa while he fed the pigs and in the silo when he was racking out the last of the corn before the new was harvested. All the things that usually most scared Lucille about her In-law’s farm.  But for some reason, she seemed more mellowed out by the late stages of this pregnancy and took it in her stride that Scott had fallen from the tractor or been bitten by the sow.

She enjoyed the break, Jeff and his parents to deal with it all for a while.

John had hit that intensely inquisitive stage very early, he wasn’t yet three but he already needed to understand the world around him.

“Why does Grandpa keep ducks?” Why do ducks go quack?” “Why do ducks have blue eggs?” Lucille believed she was a mom of infinite patience, always trying to answer a why question with a full and proper explanation. But those damned whys just kept on coming!  Just when she thought she'd everything to his satisfaction, he would start again, “But why?”

The only times she got a real break was when John slept but then getting him to take a daytime nap had become nigh on impossible. As a last resort she would hold him in her arms in an attempt to rock him off to sleep for just a few moments respite. She would finally think she was having some success as his eyelids became heavier and his beautiful aqua coloured eyes would seem to fix on hers …  but then in an instant, he’d have arched his little back and rolled over to slid from her lap and be gone, another damned why question on his lips.

She sipped her iced tea, it was Jeff’s turn to deal with it all.

 

The boys were in Grandma’s massive old tub somewhere, not that they could be seen.  Even after five years of practice, Jeff still added too much bubble bath and the tub was full of thick creamy suds.  If there were children in there, they couldn't be seen.

He’d let the water out already and the boys were giggling hilariously as they made tunnels through the white magic of foam.

“They’re going to be as slippery as hell to catch and dry off, son!” Grandma was stood behind him smiling at the wriggling mass of foam. She held out one towel to him and with another tried to cling to John. “Worse than trying to hold an eel!” She was giggling too and it pleased Jeff to hear her enjoying her grandchildren so. “Got you!” and she hauled the soapy toddler into the towel and wrapped him up tight before he could squirm free again.  John watched her intently as she dried him off, bright eyes delighted at the attention. He nestled into the towel as she carried him off to find pyjamas.

Scott was another matter, “Come on son!” Jeff had asked several times, but the 5 year old was enjoying sliding up and down the bath now that his little brother wasn’t there to get hurt. “Scott you’re going to damage yourself there, come on out!” Jeff’s voice had turned to the one Scott recognised as ‘don’t mess with me now, son!’ and so, sliding to a halt on his back, hands and feet waving in the air and covered from head to foot in thick soapy suds, Scott allowed himself to be pulled up in the other towel.

“Daddy, will I have to share the bath with the new baby?”

Jeff had given up trying to pat him dry – too many bubbles – he resorted to wrapping him entirely in the towel and waiting.

“Not yet Scotty, when he’s older maybe.” Jeff thought about it for a moment or two. “Maybe you’ll be old enough to have baths on your own by then.”

Scott screwed up his face, giving this thought a little time, then brightly said, “No – don’t think so, we have too much fun!”

Jeff ushered him out into the hallway, “Maybe then I ought to get us a bigger bath!”

“Yea! One like Grandma’s – huge like a battleship!” Scotty called back as he ran on into their bedroom, hunting for Grandma.

“A battleship?” Jeff asked, where did that come from?

“Oh, their Grandpa was telling them about battleships this afternoon, you know, all his old navy stories.” Grandma had heard them all before, several times, but Grandpa had a whole new audience with his grandchildren and was enjoying reliving his time in the navy before settling down on the farm. Jeff was smiling, he’d loved those stories when he was a kid too.

Scott was wriggling into his pyjamas by himself, whilst John was beginning to flag a little making it nigh on impossible to dress him for bed. He flopped backwards to lie flat at every opportunity he could, giggling non-stop, as each time his Grandmother would haul him back upright.

With all the chatter and noise, Jeff almost missed Lucille calling until the third time.

“Jeff! We’re clear for launch!!”

He ran through to her, Scott hot on his heels.

“I’d hoped we’d be home Luc,” He caught sight of her and knew she wouldn’t make it to their own house on the east coast. Red-faced and panting already, she looked to be halfway in delivery.

“Here or hospital?” Grandma asked – practical as usual, she seemed unflappable even at the thought of the imminent arrival of her latest grandchild.

The decision was to go with a homebirth as planned and Jeff carried Lucille up to the bedroom they’d always used for visits. Every pillow in the house was brought to prop her up with and then they waited.

“Will the baby be long, Daddy?” Scott watched his mother constantly, his blue eyes glittering in the low light, lit now that the sun had gone down, his eyebrows deep in a frown. Nothing had happened in 30 minutes since the first flurry, now they all sat with her quietly supporting her.

“No, I shouldn’t think so, son. You arrived after about 7 hours and John, here.” He looked down at the sleeping toddler in his arm, russet coloured lashes resting on suntanned cheeks, it was good to see some colour in him for a change. “John was really quick, just over 3 hours!”

“By rights,” Grandma smiled reassuringly, “This little one could easily be as quick.” She checked her watch and looked up the long farm road for a sign of the home-birthing medic team, and hoped they would arrive in time.

Just after midnight, Lucille woke up abruptly.

Now?

No, maybe not, she’d been in labour for several long hours by now but with little progress. She looked around the softly lit room and spotted her husband asleep on the easy chair under the window, both little boys still on his lap, though Scott looked a little precariously balanced.

Beside her, the birthing team had set up a quiet monitor and noticed her awake.

“Seems this one’s not so keen to make an appearance.” Team leader Alice smiled warmly, checking the monitors again,  "He's not distressed at all, he's calm enough.  How are you feeling?”

“Absolutely fine, in fact, I’m wondering if it’s a false alarm.”

Alice shook her head, “No, he’d definitely on his way, just taking his own sweet time about it, making sure he’s ready.” She fluffed up the pillows directly behind Lucille’s head and suggested she tried to rest again.

“Mmm, yes, but could you do me a little favour first?” Lucille nodded towards her dark-haired son who was now so very, very slowly sliding off his daddy’s lap, head first.

“Oh!” Alice moved swiftly, catching the little lad just as the fall began to speed up. “Your eldest?” She carried him over to the bed and nestled him into the covers.

Lucille nodded, beaming down at her firstborn.

“And the other little one, yours too?”

Lucille looked up sharply at this. “Yes, both mine _and Jeff’s_. Scott here obviously has his father’s colouring, little John has _my_ father’s.”

“Sorry, I hadn’t meant to…”

Lucille held up a hand and smiled warmly, regretting her flash of defence, “No, I’m Sorry. I’ve become a little defensive about being asked. I know they look so un-alike. I guess it’s all to do with having such a variety of nationalities in our family.  My father was of Nordic blood, my mother Peruvian. Jeff’s mother comes from old settlers stock to the US, mainly from Northern European but his father is a bit of a mystery, Antipodean perhaps? But even he’s not sure where from exactly. So if this one,” and she affectionately rubbed her tummy, “turns out to be purple with pink spots, I won't be that surprised!” The baby jumped in her tummy to assure her that he had no intention of being purple with pink spots and made her laugh out loud.

It woke Jeff instant. He sat up suddenly aware that he was a son short on his lap and he looked round for Scott comically. She laughed again and the baby made another little protest.

“How you doing?” Jeff asked.

“Slow, slow progress Jeff, it’s been hours now and I’m beginning to worry he’s a bit shy.”

He lifted John up a little higher and came to sit on the bed beside her, his hand over hers.

“Can’t be much longer surely?” And he smiled reassuringly at her. She already looked tired to a point of exhaustion. Maybe the boys shouldn’t see their mom like this, so he lifted Scott up again and took them both to their own room and tucked them up for the night.

Returning to the doorway, he asked if there was anything practical he could do.

“Hot chocolate!” Alice suggested and Jeff willingly padded off to make it, but before he arrived back, Lucille had gone back to sleep.

“Let her rest, she’ll need it later.”

Halfway through the morning, 14 hours into labour, the baby was no closer to arriving and there was some discussion about moving Lucille into hospital. She was beginning to feel uncomfortable and was fretting about the baby’s slow headway.

Airlifted in, she felt the baby suddenly wake up, “Oh! I think he’s enjoying the flight, Jeff, really I do!” And sure enough the flight had done the trick, delivery was a short 40 minutes later.

One perfectly formed little boy, 9lb 12oz with thick black hair was born to very, very grateful parents.

Virgil had taken his time but he’d arrived, safe and sound.

“How long was that now?” The midwife was making notes at the end of the bed.

Jeff had hold of John who was reaching out to touch the baby, Virgil’s own hand exploring the space between them. He was being clutched nervously by his biggest brother under the guidance of their mom.

“Not so tight now Scotty.” Lucille smiled down at them both.

“But Mommy, he’s so little.”

“Give him time Scotty, give him time.” She remembered the midwife’s question and answered quickly, “Eighteen hours!”

The midwife blew out her cheeks, “Oooh - a long time!”

Lucille was exhausted and agreed. “Ugh! I thought he was never coming!”

“Well, slow and steady wins the race. He’s certainly worth the effort,” the midwife leaned in and checked the baby one more time before leaving the family to rest for a while. “Well worth it, he’s a real smasher, isn’t he.”

Lucille grinned back, “Oh yes, but then all my boys are!”

John had managed to clamber out of his daddy’s arms and was making sure of a space next to his baby brother now that Scott had given him back to his mom.  John’s bony little elbows levering a way in to be next to his Mom too, she gave him an extra hug, it wasn’t going to be easy for John to give up his ‘mommy’s little baby’ title but she’d ease him into ‘big brother’ status as gently as she could.

Scott had come round to sit up on his daddy’s knee, half asleep himself. Jeff wrapped one arm round the lad and the other around the head of his beautiful wife, encouraging her to sleep.

“You never did say if you were disappointed when we found out that this one wasn’t a girl.”

She shook her head, “No, boys are just fine.” She gently tucked back little Virgil’s blanket for John to be able to see his brother’s cherub face.

“We could try one more time if you wanted to?”

She looked towards Jeff with a fierce stare. “Not a chance Jefferson Grant Tracy – I am never going through that again – eighteen hours! Are you mad! – you have three sons, be satisfied - there is no way there will ever be a forth!”

 

 


End file.
